Odisha tourism and travel guide
Overview
Orissa – the land of temples, beaches, sculptures, arts and crafts is a beautiful place where India’s cultural wealth is clearly depicted in the architectures of the state. This is place, which can be truly mentioned as architectural bliss in India. No other state depicts India's assets in its marvelous temples, holy places, gleaming golden beaches and swaggering architecture, sculptures and other diverse arts and crafts, better than Orissa.
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The relic of Orissa is endorsed by its ancient people who inhabit the land till now. Orissa is the dwelling place for many tribes who till now inhabit the land in the remote areas of the state. They have their dwelling in the deep down forests of Orissa. The Orissan tribals are a source of profound interest not only for the anthropologists but also for the tourists. Many tourists congregate to the land of Orissa in search of the out of the ordinary aura of this relatively unexplored state. Orissa has about 62 distinct tribal groups, making it the largest collection of tribal people in any state in the country. Initially, the tribal group, the Buiyas, and the Gonds inhabited the state of Orissa. They had restrained themselves to the forestland and hilly areas of Orissa. Their dwelling place was mostly in the dense forests in Orissa. The great Maurya king Ashoka has ruled over the land. At that time Orissa was called Kalinga.
Festivals are an important part of the lives of the people of Orissa. The Oriya are lovers of festivities and celebrations. They don’t miss a single chance of merrymaking. One of the most popular and colorful festivals of Orissa is Dola, which is popularly known as Holi in other parts of the country. Other festivals that are celebrated with great pomp and show in the state are Diwali, Dusshera, Mahashivratri, etc. But the biggest of all the festivals that are celebrated in Orissa is the Rath yatra. It is also known as the Car festival. This festival is celebrated in the months of June and July. In this festival, ardent devotees carry the idols of Lord Jagannath to the Gundicha Mandir. The festivals that are most popular among the people of Orissa are:
Rath Yatra
Makar Sankranti
Raja
Puri Beach Festival
Konark Dance Festival
Kalinga Mahotsav
Baliyatra in Orissa
Simlipal National Park became one of the Project Tiger reserves of India in 1973. It is spread over 2750sq.km in Mayurbhanj district adjoining Bihar and West Bengal. The park consists of hills and valleys, traversed by brooks, perennial rivers, and waterfalls. Influenced by the ecology of both the eastern and western parts of the subcontinent on account of its position, the confluence makes the forest home to exceedingly rare and diverse flora and fauna.
Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the few sanctuaries in India, which has crocodiles and turtles as its prized attractions. The sanctuary is spread over an area of 650 sq km and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975. The sanctuary is a protected zone for estuarine crocodiles. The sanctuary is also home to a number of birds and every year a large number of migratory birds come to nest into the mangrove area. The other animals that you can see at the Bhitarkanika sanctuary include King Cobra, Indian Python, and Water Monitor Lizard.
The Chilka Lake in Orissa is Asia's largest inland salt-water lagoon. Studded with small islands- including the picturesquely-named Honeymoon Island and Breakfast Island- the lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a sandy ridge. The pear-shaped lake spreads across 1,100 sq km, and has a unique ecosystem with a range of aquatic flora and fauna found in and around its brackish waters. An impressive array of bird life, both native and migrant, makes Chilka one of the best places in India for a bit of satisfying bird-watching.
Puri is most well known as an important Hindu pilgrimage center. The Jagannath Temple, one of the four most important Hindu pilgrimage sites or the chardham is located here. Also, Puri’s wonderfully wide white-sand beaches, fishing farms and superb resorts make it an inviting tourist destination. The surf on the beaches here is one of the best on the entire eastern coastline of India, and dawn is a breathtaking sight. Visiting the Lord Jagannath temple, walking on the beach and experiencing the beauty of the sunrise and sunset are probably some of the best things to do in Puri.
Bhubaneswar, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Orissa has many sites worth visiting. Many of the Hindus and the Buddhist flock to the city, a religious center. our trip to the city will cover the pilgrimages of all the religions whose common center happens to be the city of Bhubaneshwar. Your visit to the Parashurameshwara Temple will reveal the masterpiece of the Orissa style of temple architecture. Besides the great Hindu temples stand Buddhist shrines in and around the city of Bhubaneswar. The triangle of ancient Buddhist monuments at Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Udaigiri at a distance of 90 kilometres from Bhubaneshwar.
Konark: The Sun Temple is the crowning glory of the temple architecture, which flourished in the 13th century Orissa. Tourists across the world travel to this temple site in large numbers. Also known as the 'Black Pagoda', the temple was built by Raja Narsimhadeva of the Ganga dynasty, The temple is in the form of a huge chariot, with 24 wheels. These wheels are pulled by seven straining horses. The temple has a three-tiered pyramidal roof topped off by a fine spire. The chariot of the Sun God represents the seven days of the week, and the 24 hours of the day, in its concept.
Adventure & Activities
Because of the proximity of the sea, Orissa had a variety of adventure sports related to water. Many such sports like water rafting, water skiing, diving, and yachting are popular in Orissa.
Geography: Orissa is located on the eastern coast of India. The beautiful state extends from 17 degrees 49’ north to 22degree 34’ north latitude and from 81 degrees 29’ east to 87 degrees 29’ east longitude. Orissa is sprawled across the area of 155,707 Sq Km. Towards the northeast of the state there lies the state of West Bengal. In the north side, there is Bihar touching the state of Orissa, in the south there lies Andhra Pradesh and in the east, Orissa kisses the sunlit waters of Bay of Bengal. Physiographically, Orissa can be separated into three major sections.
The Coastal plains.
The Middle mountainous country.
Climate: Orissa experiences a moderate climate throughout the year. The temperatures don’t go to the extremes in summer and winter. The three important seasons in Orissa are summer, winter and monsoon season. Summer is experienced in the months of Feb to June. Winter occurs from October to Feb. and monsoon season occurs from June to October. Orissa enjoys a sultry monsoon type of climate similar to most other parts of the country. Its annual average rainfall is about 200cm.
The Plateaus and rolling uplands.
People: The population of Orissa includes tribal and nontribal peoples. The tribes are divided into three linguistic groups: the Munda-speaking (e.g., the Santhal, Savara, and Juang), the Dravidian-speaking (e.g., the Khond, Gond, and Oraon), and the Oriya-speaking (e.g, the Bhuina). Most tribal people live in the hill areas.
Religions: Orissa boasts a rich cultural heritage. Many different rulers have rules the state of Orissa since long because of which the state now has the remnants of a rich cultural heritage. The state has undergone many changes from time to time because of the reigns of different rulers. The culture, arts and crafts underwent many modifications and now Orissa swanks a varied and rich cultural heritage. The creative skills of the Orissan artists are unsurpassable in the world.
Languages: Oriya is one of the Indian languages mainly spoken in the Indian state of Orissa, though there are also significant Oriya-speaking populations in other linguistic regions.
